PICNIC IN THE PARK

Forecast dampens turnout, but plenty of people still took part in the annual event

Posted: Saturday, October 08, 2005

The good news: The rain stayed away from the Picnic in the Park celebration in Forsyth Park Saturday. The bad news: So did about 1,000 people.

Though attendance topped 3,000 by the time the Picnic in the Park Orchestra took the stage at 7:30 p.m., the park was still only three-quarters full compared to last year, Eileen Baker, director of cultural affairs for the city, said.

Baker had been watching the forecast all week and was delighted with Saturday's weather and turnout.

"I wanted this to happen so badly," she said. "Yes, if it rained we could have had it in the Civic Center, but this event is all about being in the park."

The pre-show portion of Picnic in the Park began at 4 p.m. with the Savannah Arts Academy Orchestra. While some people arrived armed with only a blanket to protect their bottoms from the soggy ground, the majority of picnickers planned ahead and brought lawn chairs.

More than a dozen groups gussied up their picnic areas in their bid to take home first place in the annual picnic contest. The competition was less fierce than last year, which had twice as many registrants.

Frank Miller and Carol Lasell, co-creators of a popular "Blues Brothers"-themed picnic area had enough black fedoras and harmonicas to outfit more than 30 people, but the finicky forecast kept many of their cohorts away. Even so, the two cheerfully posed for pictures with passers-by and proudly displayed their three-layer "Bluesberry Cake."

"This year is the 25th anniversary of the movie, so we thought it was a good idea," Miller said.

Nearby, David and Ellen Bradley listened to the Savannah Arts Academy's Skyelite Jazz Band from the comfort of an antique love seat. His face was partially covered with a mask and he twirled a long-stemmed rose in his hand. She wore a rented gown and wig. Other details, including real candelabras, china plates and crystal goblets made the couple's "Phantom of the Opera"-themed picnic a favorite of picture takers.

"We didn't expect this much attention," David Bradley said, posing for another shot.

"'Phantom' is one of our favorite musicals," Ellen said. "It only took us a week to put this together."

About a half-dozen judges spent an hour perusing the competition and rated them on a scale of 1 to 5 on the following criteria: Elegance, creativity, style and theme.

One judge, Ed Williams, owner of the new 514 West restaurant on Martin Luther King Boulevard, said entries were "pretty creative for the most part."